All graduate students are expected to manage time effectively for maximum professional development as well as personal health and well-being and balance competing demands such as being a student, graduate assistant, parent, spouse, caregiver, or other responsibilities.
Graduate school will go much faster than anticipated. Students are responsible for tracking their progress and deadlines. Graduate students should develop a work plan that includes both short-term and long-term objectives, as well as a series of deadlines for completing each step, such as an Individual Development Plan (IDP): Chart Your Course, https://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/professional-development/individual-development-plan.
Keep in mind the anticipated graduation date. It generally takes one semester to write a high-quality thesis, project paper, or dissertation that could meet publication standards.